Pune, June 05: The debate over the BJP leadership issue in the run-up to next year's general elections was "meaningless", Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi said here today. "There is no need to give too much importance to the matter", Joshi told reporters on the sidelines of a tree plantation function when his attention was drawn to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's remarks that Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani would lead the party to victory in next year's general elections.

The statement of Vajpayee was nothing but a passing reference and not much should be read into it, he said.

Asked about the stance of Shiv Sena on the matter, Joshi said Sena chief Bal Thackeray will spell out the stand if there is any need to do it.

Asked to comment about Vajpayee's remarks that caused a flutter in political circles, NCP president Sharad Pawar said in Mumbai that "it does not make much of a difference whether A is heading the government or B".

"The change of leadership cannot help this government survive as its performance has been poor", the NCP leader said adding that, however, the leadership issue was the internal matter of BJP.

Bureau Report